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The official PlayStation Blog for news and video updates on PS3, PS4, PSN, PS Vita, PSPTue, 03 Mar 2015 23:43:04 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Hits PS4 on March 24thhttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/01/20/borderlands-the-handsome-collection-hits-ps4-on-march-24th/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/01/20/borderlands-the-handsome-collection-hits-ps4-on-march-24th/#commentsTue, 20 Jan 2015 12:59:48 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=148574Ever since we announced Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, nearly every fan I’ve heard from at trade shows, on Twitter, in the comments, or on the forums has asked one question: when is it coming to PS4? Well, we appreciate your patience, and today we have some good news for all of you: not only are we bringing The Pre-Sequel to PS4 on March 24th, but Borderlands 2 is coming along with it! Both titles will be available in one package as Borderlands: The Handsome Collection for $59.99.

The Handsome Collection has both games running in gorgeous HD and looking pretty damn great, at a resolution and performance level never before seen in Borderlands on consoles. Beyond that, The Handsome Collection also has another cool first for Borderlands: four-player split-screen! Yup, four friends can hang out on the couch and play in split-screen on a single TV with The Handsome Collection, in Borderlands 2 or The Pre-Sequel.

Have you already started Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and/or Borderlands 2 on PS3 or Borderlands 2 PS Vita? Don’t worry: using cross-save functionality, you’ll be able to transfer your save to and from PS4 to pick up right where you left off, along with your leveled-up character, Badass Rank, and everything else you worked so hard for.

But what about the DLC? Well, that’s all included, too. Yup, The Handsome Collection includes ALL of the add-on content for both Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel, which is a heck of a lot of stuff. To give you an idea of just how much we’ve stuffed into that little box, here’s a list of everything you’ll get in addition to the base games:

Back when Borderlands 2 came out in 2012, it launched alongside a pretty extravagant Collector’s Edition that some of you might have been able to snag. With Borderlands 2 and all of its add-on content coming to next-gen, we knew we had to top ourselves. And so, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection will receive an extremely limited Collector’s Edition, the Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition!

Limited to only 5,000 units worldwide, the Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition includes a remote controlled Claptrap steward bot that you’ll control with a companion app from your iOS or Android device. You’ll be able to play voice samples of some of Claptrap’s most iconic lines and look through a camera to see where Claptrap is headed, all while you control his every move (while balancing on one wheel)! The Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition also includes 12 really cool exclusive Vault Hunter lithographs, and a collectible steel case. It’ll be available for $399 at participating retailers, and we recommend getting a move on it if you’re interested — we don’t expect these to last long.

Lastly, we’ll be talking more about The Handsome Collection during our panels at PAX South this week, and I hope we’ll see some of you in San Antonio. Even if you can’t make it, stay tuned for more details leading up to launch.

See you on Pandora and Elpis!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/01/20/borderlands-the-handsome-collection-hits-ps4-on-march-24th/feed/172http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/borderlands.jpg3.48Content Editor, Gearbox Software1727New Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Trailer ft. Hammerlock, Torguehttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/09/18/new-borderlands-the-pre-sequel-trailer-ft-hammerlock-torgue/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/09/18/new-borderlands-the-pre-sequel-trailer-ft-hammerlock-torgue/#commentsThu, 18 Sep 2014 12:00:17 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=140289Holy crap, guys, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is coming out so soon. We’re less than a month away from release, and there’s still so much more exciting stuff we have left to show off.

Today, we have a new video featuring Mr. Torgue (Explosions!) and Sir Hammerlock (Scientific research!) explaining the ins and outs of life on Pandora’s moon of Elpis, ranging from new enemies and the impact of low gravity to our new playable Vault Hunters: Wilhelm, Athena, Nisha, and Claptrap. You’ll also get your first details about the Grinder, a new machine that lets you turn your crappy busted old guns and equipment, into shiny new ones.

Beyond that, we’re also finally talking about some of the rad new characters you’ll meet this time around. There are plenty of returning favorites like Lilith, Roland, and Moxxi, but there are also a few new faces you may have spotted in a few of the previous Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel trailers, if you’ve been looking hard enough.

For example, Janey Springs is a junk dealer who was mauled by Kraggons before you arrived on Elpis. She now owns the Grinder, and she’s super nice to all the Vault Hunters… especially Athena. Like, she really, really likes Athena. You’ll also meet Nurse Nina, a medic who thinks your pain is kind of hilarious. As described by Gearbox writer Anthony Burch, “she’ll always heal you, but she may zap you with a cattle prod just to hear the funny noise you make.”

That’s just a tiny taste of what’s new; I’ll let Hammerlock and Torgue dive a little deeper into the other features and characters since they’re a lot more exciting to listen to than I am. But there are still plenty of surprises left before Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel comes to PS3 on October 14th, so keep an eye out for even more in the weeks to come.

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/09/18/new-borderlands-the-pre-sequel-trailer-ft-hammerlock-torgue/feed/25http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/15086067730_36ae8f90e6_z.jpg3.06Content Editor, Gearbox Software255Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel — The Power(!) of Claptraphttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/08/13/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-the-power-of-claptrap/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/08/13/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-the-power-of-claptrap/#commentsWed, 13 Aug 2014 18:00:28 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=137714Since we announced Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, there’s one question we’ve gotten more than any other: what is Claptrap’s action skill? Up until now we haven’t said much, but today we’re happy to reveal that it’s as weird as you might have hoped.

Claptrap’s action skill is named VaultHunter.exe, and when he uses it he’s granted one of several random abilities for a short time. If you’re lucky and Claptrap’s programming is working properly, you might get a brief opportunity to use a version of another Vault Hunter’s skill, like becoming a Gunzerker (In Claptrap’s case, Funzerking!) or a Mechromancer (You’ll love your new fire rate!). If you’re less lucky, you might be stuck bouncing up and down uncontrollably or launching a torrent of grenades that will obliterate friend and foe alike.

Beyond that, depending on the skill tree you choose, Claptrap may also gain the ability to cycle between subroutines that increase his efficiency with different types of guns, health regeneration, defense, or other stuff. He also has the opportunity to choose the world’s saddest high five skill, which can increase gun damage, fire rate and health depending on whether or not your teammates leave you hanging.

To delve any deeper into the terrifying mind of Claptrap right now would be to unleash unspeakable horrors upon you, but just know that there will be plenty of strange surprises for you to discover. And, for those who were worried: yes, you’ll be able to climb stairs when you play as Claptrap.

Of course, if all of that sounds a little too Claptrap-ish for you, you’ll also be able to play as Athena, Nisha, and Wilhelm, who all bring their own badass (albeit a bit more traditional) skills to the table. Everybody can join in on the low gravity, butt slamming fun and use all of our crazy new ice and laser weapons, too, which we promise are cool enough that you’ll forgive us for Claptrap.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel will be out on PS3 on October 14th. Seriously, we’re sorry in advance about Claptrap.

First off, we’re happy to announce that you’ll be able to get your hands on Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel on October 14th for PS3. The team here at Gearbox has been hard at work along with our buddies over at 2K Australia thanks to a lot of international flights and late night phone calls, and we all think you’ll find a lot to love on Pandora’s moon.

As anyone who attends our PAX panels knows, we don’t like to make announcements empty-handed, so we also have a new trailer today that’s seriously one of the weirdest, most awesome videos I think we’ve ever done. You can get your first look at some of the crazy new enemies, weapons, vehicles, and characters we’ve added to The Pre-Sequel, and special thanks to our friends at Harmonix for cooking up an awesome moon dance break for the trailer. You might also be able to spot a few familiar faces if you’ve visited Pandora in the past.

If you missed it, The Pre-Sequel takes place in between the original Borderlands and Borderlands 2, as our clever-and-totally-not-at-all-on-the-nose title implies. We’ve got four rad new playable Vault Hunters, including Borderlands 2 boss Wilhelm, Nisha (who you might know as the eventual Sheriff of Lynchwood), and Athena from the original Borderlands’ Secret Armory of General Knoxx DLC. Oh, and Claptrap. Seeing him shoot a gun is actually kind of adorable, until he talks and ruins the illusion.

As someone who was a huge Borderlands fan long before I came to Gearbox, I can tell you that visiting the moon in The Pre-Sequel adds a whole new layer to Borderlands. Low gravity jumps and butt stomps are incredibly fun, and freezing and shattering enemies with the new cryo guns is strangely satisfying.

We have a lot of cool surprises still to come, so whether you’ve played Borderlands in the past or want to try out the franchise for the first time, we hope you’ll join us in exploring the moon and everything that comes with it. Some new videos should be coming just next week, so keep an eye out during E3… and beyond!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/06/05/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-coming-to-ps3-october-14th/feed/37http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/borderlandsprequel.jpg3.3Content Editor, Gearbox Software377Hands-on With Borderlands 2 on PS Vitahttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/05/02/hands-on-with-borderlands-2-on-ps-vita/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/05/02/hands-on-with-borderlands-2-on-ps-vita/#commentsFri, 02 May 2014 14:04:26 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=131733The PlayStation social team recently had a chance to play a build of Borderlands 2 on PS Vita, and as the group’s resident Borderlandophile, I immediately called dibs. What can I say about this game? It’s Borderlands 2 on the Vita!

Controlling Borderlands 2 on PS Vita is a customizable affair: just go into options and remap to your heart’s content. To change a control, tap the action or button (even the abilities assigned to the touch screen or rear touch pad) you want to change, then tap wherever you want the action to be. By default, tapping different areas of Vita’s rear touch pad yield a sprint or a melee attack, while a tap on the front screen tosses a grenade or activates your character-specific ability.

Shoulder buttons L and R still aim and shoot, though I did notice a useful new feature that takes advantage of PS Vita’s built-in gyroscope: when you’re aiming down the sight, moving PS Vita will adjust your aim.

Environments and character models are surprisingly detailed, and the game overall runs at a solid clip, generally hovering in the vicinity of 30 frames per second. Slicing dudes up as my main cyborg-man-alien-mystery-assassin-thing Zer0 still makes me feel like a cyborg-man-alien-mystery-assassin-thing.

The gang’s all here, by the way, including DLC characters Gaige the Mechromancer and Krieg the Psycho. In addition to all six vault hunters, Borderlands 2 on Vita includes the campaign packs “Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty” and “Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage”; the Vault Hunter Upgrade pack, and the Collector’s Edition Pack!

Borderlands 2 is a blast when you’re flying solo, but the PS Vita version also includes support for two-player online co-op play between two PS Vita owners. We checked in with the SCEA Third Party Production team, who confirmed that while they strived to include four-player co-op in the game, they made a decision late in their development cycle to focus on providing the best two-player-only co-op experience possible. As a result, the maximum co-operative player count for Borderlands 2 on PS Vita is capped at two.

Oh, and good news for anyone who’s played the PS3 version for dozens of hours: you’ll be able to bring your save data from the PS3 version (standard or GOTY editions) of the game to your PS Vita, and vice versa. Just upload your save to the cloud when you are done playing on one device and pull it down when you want to play again. Cross-save, baby!

I’ll admit to being slightly skeptical when I heard Borderlands 2 was coming to PS Vita. It’s a big game! I’m still a bit unsure that making this thing happen was possible by any earthly, mortal means. But hey, I’ll take black magic and alien technology if it means I get to play one of my favorite PS3 games on the go. Put me down for one on May 6th!

2K just announced Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, a new entry in the awesome/ridiculous/ridiculously-awesome FPS series from Gearbox. It takes place between Borderlands 1 and 2, and explores the rise of the latter’s charmingly sadistic villain: Handsome Jack. Oh, and it’s on the moon.

Offensive opportunities will be plentiful, with new laser-based and “Cryo” weapons joining the already gargantuan armory present on Pandora, and you can play as one of four new characters — including Claptrap.

Read on for full details about Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, straight from 2K.

Handsome Jack is back with a whole new cast of playable characters and he’s taking you to the moon of Pandora in the next standalone AAA game in 2K’s best-selling franchise – Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. 2K announced today that the game is being co-developed by Gearbox Software and 2K Australia, and will be available later this fall for the PlayStation 3. See, aren’t you glad you kept your PS3!?

Narratively, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel takes place between the original Borderlands game and Borderlands 2. For the very first time, you’ll play on the other side as four new playable characters fighting alongside Handsome Jack, and you’ll witness Jack’s transformation into the megalomaniacal tyrant that you loved to hate in Borderlands 2. Fans of the franchise will no doubt remember some of these characters from past games. There’s Athena – The Gladiator, Wilhelm – The Enforcer, Nisha – The Lawbringer, and Claptrap – The Fragtrap. That’s right, you can play as THE Claptrap! Oh, and did we mention that you’re fighting on the moon!?

Pandora’s moon is called Elpis, and it’s inhabited by a whole bunch of new baddies – Scavengers, Lunatics, giant bandits in 70s-era NASA spacesuits – you know, the type you’d enjoy blasting off the surface of the moon. And that’s just it, because you’re off of Pandora, gravity is different and so is the atmosphere. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel has an all-new oxygen system that not only allows you to breathe in the moon’s zero-atmosphere environments, it gives you an oxygen-powered jetpack that enables you to perform insanely long moon jumps, or even double jumps. Combining your double jump with the crouch button performs a ground-pounding slam that deals area of effect damage, and can also deal crazy elemental damage. Oxygen is a lootable resource just like ammo, which has been plentiful in past Borderlands games, so you don’t have to fear that you’ll run out.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Borderlands game without gazillions of new guns, but not just guns, all-new weapon and elemental damage types. In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, you’ll shoot ‘n’ loot with laser guns – the type that ‘pew pew’ like in Star Wars, and the type that shoot continuous beams like in Ghostbusters. You’ll also freeze bandits in their place and shatter them into hundreds of bloody pieces using an array of Cryo weapons. Cryo is an all-new elemental damage type, and the combination of fire from laser and ice from Cryo has us itching to jump back into Borderlands.

What do you think? Are you excited to jump around Pandora’s moon, blasting bandits in the face with laser guns? Let us know in the comments below. Also, if you’re headed to PAX East this weekend, you have a chance to get a first look at Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in action at 2K’s booth #962.

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/04/09/borderlands-the-pre-sequel-revealed-for-ps3/feed/57http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Borderlands-The-Pre-Sequel.jpg4.16SCEA Social Media Specialist570New PS Vita Model Confirmed for US, Included in Borderlands 2 Bundlehttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/10/new-ps-vita-model-confirmed-for-us-included-in-borderlands-2-bundle/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/10/new-ps-vita-model-confirmed-for-us-included-in-borderlands-2-bundle/#commentsMon, 10 Feb 2014 22:59:25 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=124616PlayStation Vita model will be coming to North America. Today, we’re excited to announce the new PS Vita Wi-Fi model (PCH-2000 series) will be available via the Borderlands 2 Limited Edition PlayStation Vita Bundle this Spring.]]>Update: An earlier version of this post stated that Borderlands 2 on PS Vita is playable with up to three of your friends. We checked in with the SCEA Third Party Production team, who confirmed that while they strived to include four-player co-op in the game, they made a decision late in their development cycle to focus on providing the best two-player-only co-op experience possible. As a result, the maximum co-operative player count for Borderlands 2 on PS Vita is capped at two.

Hey Vita fans, we’ve got some great news to share with you today. Since its reveal at the Tokyo Game Show, many of you have asked when the new PlayStation Vita model will be coming to North America. Today, we’re excited to announce the new PS Vita Wi-Fi model (PCH-2000 series) will be available via the Borderlands 2 Limited Edition PlayStation Vita Bundle this Spring. The bundle will include the new slim PS Vita system in black, the first-person role-playing shooter hit Borderlands 2 with six DLC packs, and an 8GB PS Vita memory card – all for $199.99 (MSRP).

The new PS Vita Wi-Fi model is approximately 20-percent slimmer and 15-percent lighter than the original version, with rounded edges to fit comfortably in your hands. The new model comes with 1GB of internal memory built into the system, and its 5-inch front touchscreen has a new high-definition liquid crystal display (LCD), giving you a high quality image that provides the same deep, immersive gaming experience that’s at the core of the PS Vita system.

You won’t need to worry about purchasing an extra PS Vita memory card to play Borderlands 2 out of the box – the limited edition bundle comes with an 8GB memory card. Also, the battery life of the new PS Vita system has increased to 4-6 hours of game play, up from 3-5 hours in the current model, and about 7 hours of video play, up from 5 hours from the current model. Extra juice for those long game sessions!

Many of you have waited patiently for Borderlands 2 to come to the PS Vita system, and we’re pleased to bring it to you bundled with the new PS Vita model. The game utilizes the PS Vita system’s unique front touchscreen and rear touchpad feature so you can easily zoom and pan on maps, manage inventory, inspect items, and more. You can shoot and loot through Pandora with a PS Vita-toting friend via Infrastructure online play, and you can also cross save your progress with your PS3. As an added bonus, Borderlands 2 for PS Vita includes six downloadable content (DLC) packs: Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage, Psycho Character Class, Mechromancer Character Class, Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 1 and the Collector’s Edition Pack.

If you haven’t played Borderlands 2 yet, the storyline follows six vault hunters through the world of Pandora in an attempt to defeat the notorious Handsome Jack of Hyperion Corporation. The Borderlands 2 Limited Edition PlayStation Vita Bundle is great for those who are new to the game, or if you’re already a fan, it’s a great way to experience Borderlands 2 again right in the palm of your hands.

As with all PlayStation hardware, the PS Vita system has evolved in so many ways in the last two years. At the launch of PS4, we introduced PS Vita system’s innovative Remote Play feature, making it the ultimate companion device for the PS4 system. We know how much all of you PS4 owners have enjoyed it – I know I have. Additionally, we recently demonstrated its compatibility with PlayStation Now, our new streaming game service that leverages cloud-based technology, allowing you to play a variety of PlayStation 3 games on the PS Vita system when the service launches later this year. And let’s not forget the great games launching on PS Vita this year – including Minecraft, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD, God of War Collection and The Walking Dead Season 2. Our goal is to bring you more games to enjoy with our most powerful handheld console, and we look forward to announcing new titles for the PS Vita system this year.

So, are you ready to shoot-and-loot with the new PS Vita model? Let us know in the comments!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/10/new-ps-vita-model-confirmed-for-us-included-in-borderlands-2-bundle/feed/238http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/New-PSVita.jpg4.41VP of Platforms Marketing, SCEA2389Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition Out Next Week, Celebrate with Loot Hunthttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/10/04/borderlands-2-game-of-the-year-edition-out-next-week-celebrate-with-loot-hunt/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/10/04/borderlands-2-game-of-the-year-edition-out-next-week-celebrate-with-loot-hunt/#commentsFri, 04 Oct 2013 17:06:31 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=117131

Hi everyone, this is Chris Faylor, Community Manager at Borderlands 2 maker Gearbox Software. This Tuesday, October 8th marks the launch of Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition, which is going to pack a ton of content (over $100 worth) for $59.99.

It’s amazing for us at Gearbox to see so many people enjoying the game — after all, it’s your passion that drives us to keep creating new content — and we’re excited that this edition comes packed with all of the season pass content, and more!

This bundle is a great starting point for those that may have missed out on Borderlands 2 the first time around, and it’s the perfect holiday gift for your future co-op partners!

Here’s a look at everything that’s in Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition:

The award-winning Borderlands 2 main game

Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty Campaign Add-On

Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage Campaign Add-On

Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt Campaign Add-On

Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep Campaign Add-On

Krieg the Psycho Character Class

Gaige the Mechromancer Character Class (as part of the Premiere Club Content)

Other Premiere Club Content:

Gearbox Gun Pack

Golden Key

Vault Hunter’s Relic

Creature Slaughter Dome Add-On

Collector’s Edition Heads and Skins

Contraband Sky Rocket Grenade

Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 1

Phew!

Now, in order to celebrate the launch of the Game of the Year Edition, we wanted to do something special. Starting next Friday, October 11th, Gearbox Software and 2K will be hosting the Borderlands 2 $100,000 Loot Hunt.

In partnership with the folks here at PlayStation, Turtle Beach, NVIDIA, and BradyGames, 2K and Gearbox will be giving away tons of weekly prizes — including a grand prize of $50,000 in cold hard cash.

We’ll also have four weekly cash prizes (worth a combined $50,000), along with incredible loot like PlayStation Vitas, and copies of Borderlands 2 Vita when it’s released. Check out the official website for a full list of prizes.

And of course, in addition to all that, you’ll also be able to get unique and legendary drops just by completing in-game objectives! And don’t be surprised if during the course of all this some of the bajillion weapons on Pandora suddenly become even more powerful.

For those of you without internet access or the ability to play Borderlands 2, U.S. residents can enter the sweepstakes by mailing a postcard to the following address:

While the Loot Hunt itself doesn’t kick off until October 11th, you can sign up now and check out the full details and rules by heading over to the sweepstakes website.

Oh, and for those of you that have been asking for more Borderlands 2 downloadable content, you won’t have to wait much longer! The first of the new Headhunter Pack add-ons for Borderlands 2, T.K. Baha’s Bloody Harvest, arrives later this month — look for more details soon!

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/10/04/borderlands-2-game-of-the-year-edition-out-next-week-celebrate-with-loot-hunt/feed/40http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/borderlands-goty-promo.jpg3.62Community Manager, Gearbox Software401Borderlands 2 Coming to PS Vitahttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/20/borderlands-2-coming-to-playstation-vita/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/20/borderlands-2-coming-to-playstation-vita/#commentsTue, 20 Aug 2013 19:04:04 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=113392Gearbox Software and 2K announces today at Gamescom that the addictive first person shooter-looter mayhem of Borderlands 2 will be coming to PS Vita.]]>Hello travelers! The dream finally becomes a reality, as PlayStation, Gearbox Software and 2K announces today at Gamescom that the addictive first person shooter-looter mayhem of Borderlands 2 will be coming to PS Vita.

I watched as Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software, stood on stage at the Rezzed show in the UK a year ago and told fans that, with PlayStation’s support, he’d love to see Borderlands 2 on PS Vita. For the last year, Gearbox Software, 2K, and PlayStation have been inundated with emails, tweets, forum posts and more from passionate gamers across the world pleading for a PS Vita version of Borderlands 2. You spoke, we listened, and with the wonderful collaboration between 2K, PlayStation and the team at Iron Galaxy Studios – makers of indie fighting game Divekick – we can finally make Borderlands 2 on PS Vita a reality!

For those of you new to the critically acclaimed shooting-and-looting mayhem of Borderlands 2, which won more than 55 editorial awards in 2012, you’ll be picking from four uniquely-skilled Vault Hunters – Axton the Commando, Maya the Siren, Salvador the Gunzerker and Zer0 the Assassin – and then gunzerking your way through the world of Pandora in an attempt to defeat the corrupt Hyperion Corporation, led by the notorious Handsome Jack. Throughout these adventures, you will encounter a variety of distinctive, colorful characters including the explosive Tiny Tina, the (ex-)wife-of-many Mad Moxxi, and the friendly and energetic robotic companion CL4P-TP – you can call him Claptrap for short. That’s what his friends call him – or would, if he had any friends in the first place.

PS Vita gives Borderlands 2 fans the ability to play the game anywhere they want, complete with of all the unique benefits of the Vita system, and will truly bring the four-player cooperative experience to the palms of your hands. A new era of portable shoot-and-loot awaits! On behalf of Gearbox, 2K, and Sony, we want to thank the passionate fans for helping make Borderlands 2 on the PS Vita a reality, and we look forward to looting bazillions of guns with you guys on the go.

Borderlands 2 will be shipping on PS Vita in 2014 and will be published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Stay tuned for more information.

]]>http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/08/20/borderlands-2-coming-to-playstation-vita/feed/129http://blog.us.playstation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/borderlands2vita.jpg4.56Product Manager, Gearbox Software1296Hands on with Aliens: Colonial Marines, on PS3 February 12thhttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/01/aliens-colonial-marines-lands-on-ps3-february-12th-we-go-hands-on/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/02/01/aliens-colonial-marines-lands-on-ps3-february-12th-we-go-hands-on/#commentsFri, 01 Feb 2013 16:00:06 +0000http://blog.us.playstation.com/?p=96434Imagine that an all-knowing time traveller landed in 1986 in order to whisper the mysteries of 2013 to the startled mid-80s masses. Flying cars, powerful cell phones… a videogame sequel to Aliens? Now, 27 years after the theatrical release of James Cameron’s blockbuster, Gearbox Software is making the dream come true on PS3 February 12th.

I Left my Heart on LV-426

Aliens: Colonial Marines is the sequel to Aliens that we always wanted but never got. You are a Colonial Marine sent to LV-426 to find out what happened to Ellen Ripley. If you’ve seen Aliens, you know that things with Ripley didn’t turn out so well, and you, with no idea what to expect, will find yourself entering hell, somewhere far, far away from planet Earth.

“It was an itch that we had, ever since we saw the first and second movie. That itch has never been scratched; there’s a different history that we always felt that needed to be told, that involves Colonial Marines. Once Cameron introduced them to the Alien universe, there was no going back. I want the story to get bigger, the fantasy to be a Colonial Marine, of having all that gear….We wanted to make a sequel to the Aliens story, and do it in a videogame form, authentic and legitimate.”

– Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox

I tried out the Campaign Mode for a while, and spied all of the many details that one would expect from an Aliens video game, from the fonts on the HUD to the chattering of the pulse rifle to the ghostly chirp of the motion tracker. The motion tracker is actually a very important part of Colonial Marines — press L1 and you can see the direction in which the xenomorphs can be found. You have to be careful, though: When holding the Motion Tracker you cannot use your weapon. This creates a delicious sense of tension, since when you have three xenos mere feet away from you, the few seconds it takes to draw your weapon will seem like an eternity.

I was only able to play one sequence where I secured an area, placed movement sensors all around the scene, and met up with “artificial person” Bishop (played by Lance Henriksen, thankfully) Then, the xenos arrived. They came in waves and spew acid when shot. You will quickly realize that acid and enclosed spaces make for a dangerous combo, so you’ll want to keep moving while you shoot.

While playing you’ll uncover plenty of references from the movie, from audio logs and dog tags from fallen soldiers (I found Vazquez’s) to weapons such as Ripley’s Rifle, complete with the duct-taped flamethrower add-on. You’ll find more weapons, including pistols and shotguns, from other important characters, and as you advance you gain experience that you can trade for weapon upgrades and customize the weapons according to your taste.

“In the Aliens film, you have this thing called the pulse rifle. It’s pretty cool, it has an ammo counter and an iconic sound, but it’s kinda stuck in the 80s. The marines tend to favor weapons that can help them survive in any planet, they’re very basic. On the other hand the Weyland Yutani guys have all the money in the universe and can do whatever they want, so their weapons have a more science fiction nature.”

– Brian Burleson, Sr. Producer at Gearbox

Fight as a Team, Die as a Team

When I tried the multiplayer mode in Aliens: Colonial Marines, I wasn’t sure what to expect. There are two factions, the Marines and the Xenos. The Marines are not complicated and their play style should feel familiar to FPS fans. Your boots will be on solid ground, you’ll choose from various weapons and upgrades, then shoot anything that moves.

The xenos are more interesting and are very different from anything you may be accustomed to. There are three different types: Soldiers, Spitters, and Lurkers, each with their own completely different characteristics. The xenos can see through objects and climb walls, but at the same time their defenses are weak. The Soldiers are excellent at hand-to-hand combat, and you can knock off the head of a marine with one solid whack. The Spitters use acid to attack from a distance (tip: do this from a roof), and the Lurkers can powerfully jump towards their enemies and attack without mercy.

It is not easy to be a xeno. You will die a lot, but with a little practice you’ll see that it’s fun and strategically interesting as well. You will literally hunt down your marine foes, hiding and then taking advantage of your opportunity to attack. It pays to move only when necessary, given the marines’ use of motion trackers.

“The multiplayer is natural because the marines can attack from a distance while the xenos are melee-range and sneaky. Xenos need to think about the environment, and have lot more options. I personally prefer xenos.”

– Brian Burleson, Sr. Producer at Gearbox

The Escape mode may have been my favorite hands-on experience. This is a team game in which marine players have only one life and very little time for reviving each other. Xenos, of course, can resurrect an infinite number of times and need only eliminate the marines while their prey attempt to conquer a variety of objectives, such as advancing or defending a point.

Aliens: Colonial Marines lands February 12th on PS3, bringing a breath of fresh air to the Aliens universe. Have any questions about my time with the game? Let me know in the comments!